Amici opens new 60-seater flagship restaurant in BGC

In 2007, the little-known Italian restaurant Amici on Pasay Road in Makati changed ownership. From a Salesian priest, the Moran Family of Red Ribbon fame took over and the changes were evident.

Amici for one, became a lot more accessible and to a lot more people, too. Its opened in different locations around Metro Manila, and its menu became wider in scope.

According Amici COO and General Manager Philip Moran, “it’s important to always update our menu and restaurant experience to make it more current and relevant to the changing environment. And in the end, it’s always about the food, making sure quality is never compromised and consistency is always present regardless of which Amici you eat in,” Philip shared with GMA News Online.

Perhaps the biggest change: after 12 years, Amici is finally launching its flagship store in Bonifacio GLobal City in Taguig. 

It’s a 60-seater restaurant at One Bonifacio Mall, next to the new Philippine Stocks Exchange Building. Unlike other Amici stores, it’s interiors are vibrant and modern — an attempt to fit into the BGC aesthetic.

“BGC is [now] the hottest place in the metro for restaurants so we had to be present here. We made sure to change up our interiors and made it slightly more upscale for this restaurant outlet to fit with the BGC market,” Philip shares.

But the modern well-lit ambiance is filled with a homey atmosphere — perhaps from the familiar aromas of Italian fare that made Amici a favorite for 12 years.

Chef Paolo Moran and Amici COO Philip Moran at the new Amici BGC flagship restaurant. Photo courtesy of Amici

And according to Philip, exclusive offerings will be available on certain days and only in BGC, starting July. “It’s a way for Chef Paolo to tap into his creativity to create dishes which he learned while training in Italy and allows him to be more experimental with menu items.”

New staples are also added to their menu, like Truffle Mushroom dip, Salmon & Zucchini Pizza, and Striploin Steak Salpicao, while seasonal exclusives like Squid Ink Pasta and Florentine-Style Steak will be introduced in the near future. As always, their signature specials like Chef Paolo’s Balsamic Chicken & Bacon pizza will be available.

“Every dish we serve in the restaurant goes through the strict taste standards we set,” Philip explains. “We first try the dish as a family, then once we’ve made our suggestions on how to improve or tweak it, we pass it on to the people who prepare the sauces and pizza dough in the commissary, all the way to the kitchen who expertly and efficiently whip up the final product for our customers.”

With the restaurant’s continued growth, Amici aims to continue the legacy of the Salesian priest Fr. Colombo by sharing Italian comfort food to people from all walks of life. 

With his extensive training in Italy, Chef Paolo only wishes to bring the goodness of Italian home cooking to BGC. He says, “My biggest satisfaction comes when I see friends and family gathered together enjoying the dishes we’ve prepared for them.”

Here are our favorites from Amici’s latest addition to their growing chain of stores:

— LA, GMA News